Combined rail chair and antispreading device.



s. N, FRASER. COMBINED RAIL CHAIR AND ANTISPREADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1913 1,080,962., Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

awe/144101 sew l/vblimeooeo STEWART N. FRASER, OF GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN.

COMBINED RAIL CHAIR AND ANTISPREADING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Application filed May 23, 1913. Serial No. 769,502.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STEWART N. FRASER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Green Bay, in the county of Brown, State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Rail Chairs and Antispreading Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to anti-spreading devices for railroad tracks, and it more particularly relates to an improved combined railway chair and anti-spreading device.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which constitutes an improved rail chair and anti-spreading device combined.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is more easily applied to the rails than devices for this purpose heretofore employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an anti-spreading device of this character which 1s simple of construction, strong.-

and durable, comparatively inexpensive, and thoroughly practical and efficient.

Other objects and advantages may be recited hereinafter and in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which supplement this specification: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a section of railway having my improved anti-spreading device applied. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of the inner rail brace disconnected from the other elements, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the outer rail brace disconnected from the other elements.

Referring to these drawings, in which similar reference characters correspond with similar parts, throughout the several views :The chair member 5 comprises the outer rail brace 6 and the base plate or rail seat 7, the latter being provided with an upstanding flange 8, at its inner edge, and an aperture 9 adjacent to said flange 8 and approximately midway between the substantially parallel edges 10; this plate 7 being extended inwardly beyond the bottom of the railway rail, and the aperture 9 being formed through this inward exten sion, while the flange 8 is adapted to abut against the outer edge of an inner rail brace 11. This brace 11 is formed with a substantially L-shaped lug 12, comprising a depending portion 13 and a substantially horizontal and inwardly extending apertured portion let, the aperture being horizontal and adapted to receive a bolt 15, the head of which is seated against a vertical surface 17 of the lug 12.

Two of each of the elements 5, 11 and 15 are employed in connection with a turn buckle 18, the bolts 15 and 15 being oppositely threaded, so that when the turn buckle is rotated upon the threads thereof, the bolts are either drawn together or forced apart. The ends of the respective base members 7 rest upon two adjacent cross ties, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and spikes 19 or other proper means may be employed in engagement with the recesses 20 in the lateral edges of the respective members 5 and 11. The member 7 is approximately equal in width and breadth, it being of considerably less length than the element 6. The upper surface of this member 7 is flush with the lower surface 21 of the element 6, so that when the lower surfaces 21 are seated upon the top surfaces of the ties, the plate 7 lies between two adjacent ties, and the free ends of the plates, on the opposite elements 6 extend toward each other.

In applying these improved devices to a railway which has been previously built, the spikes or anchoring means are removed, and the members 5 applied with their inwardly extending arms or plates 7 under said rails and between the ties. The members 11 are then applied to the respective rails and plates, by passing the lug 12 through the aperture 9 of said. plate, and then seating said member 11 in its normal position against the web of the rail. The bolts 15 and 15 are now passed through the apertures 17, and the turn buckle 18 is applied and suitably adjusted, for bringing and se curing the rails in proper relative position to each other. The spikes 19 are now applied within the recesses 20 and driven into the ties. Of course, if desirable, spikes may also be applied directly against the rail flanges, in the usual manner, in addition to those which are applied in the recesses 20. N ow, it will be seen that when a train passes over the rails, the weight thereof upon the middle of the plate 7 tends to depress said forced by its connection with the opposite rail, and in the event that either rail should move laterally, the other rail would be moved in the same direction, so as to maintain the proper distance between the rails and thus prevent them from spreading.

It will be seen that I have provided a device of this character which is thoroughly practical and eificient and which is fully capable of attaining the foregoing objects.

I do not limit my invention to the exact details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herewith illustrated and described, but my invention may only be limited by a reasonable interpretation of the claims.

I claims- 1. A combined railroad chair and antispreading device consisting of an outer brace member adapted to have its ends seated upon two adjacent ties and having a horizontal plate formed thereon and extending inwardly under a rail of the railroad, the inner end of said plate being provided with an upstanding flange and an aperture contiguous to the flange, an inner brace member having a depending and laterally extending apertured lug passing through the aperture of said plate, a bolt extending through said aperture, and means connecting said bolt with the opposite rail of the railroad.

2. A combined rail chair and anti-spreading device consisting of a plate extending under and against the rail and having a brace member on one end and an upstanding flange on its other end and having an aperture therethrough adjacent to said upstanding fiange, a brace member having a lug thereon which extends through said aperture, and means connecting said lug with the opposite rail of the railroad and coacting therewith for holding the second said brace in its normalposition against the rail web.

3. The combination in a railway, of an anti-spreading device, comprising a pair of rail chairs, each consisting of an outer brace member spanning the space between two adjacent ties and having its ends resting upon the respective ties and secured thereto,

each said outer brace member being formed with a horizontally extending plate having its upper surface flush with the lower surface of said brace member and having a railway rail seated thereon and extending inward beyond said rail and being provided with an upstanding flange and a contiguous aperture, an inner brace'member having an apertured lug extending through the aperture of said plate, a bolt extending inwardly through each of the apertured lugs, and a turnbuckle fitted on the adjacent ends of the bolts. 7

In testimony whereof, I atiiX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

STEWART N. FRASER. Witnesses:

FRANK J. Mnssorunr, DOMINIOK M. HAenirrr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington. D. C. 

